Today we are going to see the apostle Paul address
a clear and present danger in the church at Ephesus and in the church today. The danger I am talking about is that of
professing Christians abandoning the faith.
In 1st Timothy 4:1-5,
Paul warned that some would depart from
the faith due to false teaching and corrected that false teaching so that
Timothy could guard against such departure.
This is just as clear and present a danger in our day as it was in
Paul’s. God’s people still need to be
aware of the dangers of false teaching and be equipped with God’s truth in
order to prevent a departure from the faith.
My prayer today is that God would use this text to move you to ask God
for help in your growth in the knowledge of the truth.
[4:1] Now the Spirit expressly says that
in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to
deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, [2] through the insincerity of
liars whose consciences are seared, [3] who forbid marriage and require
abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by
those who believe and know the truth. [4] For everything created by God is
good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
[5] for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (1
Timothy 4:1-5 ESV) How can we
grow in God’s truth so that we are safeguarded against false teaching and able
to look out for others? This text gives
us two ways.
1. We Must
Be Aware of the Danger of Departing from the Faith (1-2)
Paul begins by reminding Timothy of the Holy
Spirit’s warning that “some will depart
from the faith” in the latter times.
He is communicating to Timothy that there is a clear and present danger
for professing believers to depart from the faith, and he begins by
establishing the certainty of this departure
(1a). The Holy Spirit has “expressly” stated that this is going to
happen. When and how did the Holy Spirit
“expressly” state this? The Holy Spirit warned of this departure
through the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:15-20) and in His teaching on the end times (Matt. 24:11,24; Mark 13:5-6,22; Luke 21:8). Also, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, warned
the Ephesians elders about fierce wolves whom would arise out of their own
company speaking twisted things to draw
disciples away after them: [28] Pay
careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with
his own blood. [29] I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come
in among you, not sparing the flock; [30] and from among your own selves
will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
(Acts 20:28-30)
Paul also describes the timing of this departure (1b). It will happen in “the latter times.” In the New Testament, this language can refer
to the end of history or simply to the time period that began with Jesus’ first
coming. John MacArthur says that this
phrase refers to “the period from the
first coming of Christ until his return (Acts
2:16–21; Heb. 1:1–2; 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:20; 1 John 2:18). Apostasy will exist throughout that
period, reaching a climax shortly before Christ returns (cf. Matt. 24:12).”[1] It obviously
has the latter sense here because Paul viewed the Holy Spirit’s warning to be currently taking place in Ephesus. Basically,
this means that departure from the faith will be a reality throughout the history of the church.
Along with the certainty and timing of the
departure, Paul also describes the
nature of this departure (1c-2).
Notice here that he first describes the teaching that will lead to a
departure and then those who are teaching it.
The way that some will depart is by devoting themselves to false
teaching which is Satanic and demonic in origin. Teaching that distorts the gospel or deviates
from Scripture is not mainly a matter of confusion or ignorance, but has a
Satanic agenda behind it. In the name of
God, it aims to damn people to hell for all eternity.
This demonic doctrine will be propagated by hypocritical liars who have been branded by Satan will propagate this
demonic teaching. The fact that they are
called “insincere,” or hypocritical,
indicates that these false teachers were pretending to be something that they
are not. We have already seen in 1st Timothy 1:5-6 that these
were people who had “swerved from” a
pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. These were not teachers who were sincerely
confused, but were willing instruments, or tools, of Satan. The original Greek indicates that they had
not merely had their conscience “seared,” but “branded” (like a prisoner or
slave in the ancient world) by Satan (see also 2 Cor. 11:1-15 and 2 Tim
2:26).
Satan’s enlisting of Judas (Luke 22:3) serves both as a telling and a sobering illustration of
such a departure from the faith. How
could someone who had once forsaken everything in order to follow Jesus and walked
with Him day and night for over three years turn so quickly? It is because as Jesus stated repeatedly, Judas
never belonged to Him. And we see these roots of Judas’ departure
earlier during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Judas’
departure from the faith should shock each one of us and remind us that the
danger of departing from the faith is a real, clear and present danger in the
church.
How do we know if we are at risk? The word for “departed” here is where we get the word “apostasy” from and it
implies rebellion against God on some
level. This was true in the example of
Judas and these false teachers as well. So
one thing we can say is that those in danger of departing aren’t necessarily
being tricked because they actively
rebelling against God in some way, on some level already. There are two passages in the New Testament
that are helpful for me in thinking through the kinds of people who are at risk.
[18] Children, it is the last hour, and
as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come.
Therefore we know that it is the last hour. [19] They went out from us,
but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued
with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of
us. [20] But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have
knowledge. (1 John 2:18-20)
[9] The coming of the lawless one is
by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
[10] and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because
they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] Therefore God sends
them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, [12] in
order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure
in unrighteousness. [13] But we
ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord,
because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by
the Spirit and belief in the truth. (2
Thessalonians 2:9-13)
Notice two things about these passages. First they teach us that the kinds of people who
are at risk are people who are not believers to begin with, do not love God’s
truth, and have pleasure in unrighteousness.
Second, notice how these texts offer both assurance and a real warning
at the same time when it comes to departing from the faith. In other words, there is a tension between assurance and warning of
the real possibility of departure. In
order to be faithful to the Bible, we must preach
this tension and say that if you
are not loving truth and pursuing holiness then you have reason to fear that you may be at risk and not be saved. But if you are currently loving truth and
pursuing holiness then you have no reason
to fear being at risk and should be assured of your salvation. The Holy Spirit will guard a true believer from
false teaching. In both cases the real
warnings actually serve as a means to further sanctify true believers. So we should view these warnings of potential
departure as charges to love God’s truth and pursue holiness like our lives
depend on it, because they do! But this
passage not only charges us to be aware of the dangers of departing from the
faith, it also charges us to be aware of the doctrines that lead to such a departure.
2. We Must
Be Aware of the Doctrines that Lead to a Departure from the Faith (3-5)
What Paul does in 1 Timothy 4:3-5 is expose
some of the doctrines that are actually causing some to depart from the faith
and then correct those false
doctrines. The demonic teaching in play
was a form of asceticism (strict
self-denial) that restricted the enjoyment of certain aspects of God’s creation
(marriage and certain foods) in the name of becoming godly or, even worse,
being saved. The problem wasn’t celibacy
or dieting in and of itself, but rather the theology
behind the false teachers’ demand for it.
This is one example of what Paul meant by saying that the false teachers
in Ephesus were improperly using the law (1
Timothy 1:6-11). They seemed to be
teaching that a person’s holiness or salvation should be measured by what was
given up (see also Colossians 2:16-23). This is simply a very spiritual sounding form
of legalism.
The way that Paul corrects this false teaching is
by pointing Timothy to Scripture. He
says that everything God created is good and should be received with
thanksgiving by God’s people (3b-5). Two
reasons are given why everything God created for food should be seen as good
and worthy of enjoyment. First, it is
made holy by God’s Word (5a). Everything that God created as food is good
not only by virtue of God’s creating it but also because God has declared it so
(Genesis 1:31; Mark 7:14-23, esp. 19;
Acts 10:9-16). The second reason
that everything God created for food should be seen as good and worthy of
enjoyment is because it is made holy by
prayer. This refers to giving thanks
for God’s provision of food and recognizing that every good and perfect gift of
provision comes from His benevolent hand (James
1:17).
Just for clarification, remember that while Paul
is refuting legalism in this passage, he is not endorsing an extreme license
that abuses grace or ignores the rest of God’s Word. A person can’t read this passage and conclude
that they have license to be a pothead so long as they are a grateful one! A person can’t read this passage and conclude
that they have license to be a fornicator so long as they are grateful for
sex. That attitude is an abuse of grace
and ignores the fuller teaching of Scripture.
Both legalism and extreme
license distorts the gospel and deviates from the truth of God’s Word.
What can we take from this warning about doctrines
that can lead to a departure from the faith?
I think two applications are in order.
First, we need to understand that any teaching that distorts the gospel or that deviates
from the clear teaching of Scripture must be rejected. But in order to recognize a distortion or a
deviation, one must be familiar with the real thing! I am a fan of Greg Gilbert’s four-word summary
of the gospel in his book, “What is the Gospel?” The gospel begins with GOD as the loving
Creator, Ruler, and Owner of the world who created mankind to be His
representative rulers on the earth. MAN
was meant to take care of God’s world, living in loving relationship with his
Creator but rebelled against God, brining the curse of sin and death upon this
world. We all experience this curse in
that we are sinners by nature and choice and will die as a consequence. In order to save us from the just demands of
His own wrath towards sin, God sent His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST (God,
Savior, King) to provide atonement for our sins. He did this by becoming one of us and doing
what we cannot, namely, living a sinless life and paying for our sins once and
for all (we are sinners who require an eternal punishment to satisfy God’s
wrath). His resurrection from the dead
vindicated the success of His finished work and now anyone who would be saved
must RESPOND to God in repentance from sin and faith in Christ. Most distortions of this good news have to do
with Christ’s person and work and with our response to it. We must affirm that salvation is defined by
Scripture alone to be by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for
the glory of God.
Second, we need to be Christians who are equipping
ourselves with the truths that will prevent a departure from the faith. This reiterates my challenge to our church
from last week to know our faith and our Bibles well. Evidence that you are a truth lover is that
you long to learn the Word and the faith.
This allows us to test the spirits and the messages we hear in this
world (1 John 4:1-6). Love truth so much that you recognize a lie.
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